5 Mysterious and Spooky Reads for Tweens

This post is sponsored by Disney Book Group and contains affiliate links

Sometimes the change of seasons here in the Washington, D.C. area is gentle but overnight we went from summer to fall though I’m not complaining! It finally feels like it’s time for cozy sweatshirts, warm mugs of favorite beverages, decorative gourds and pumpkins, and of course, Halloween. Middle aged kids who aren’t quite sure if it’s still cool to dress up and go trick or treating can get into the spirit of the season with these 5 mysterious and spooky reads for tweens. This list represents some of my kids’ favorite books (many of which I’ve read myself!) so I hope your family will enjoy them as much as we have. Also be sure to enter the giveaway at the end to win more spooky books courtesy of Disney Books.

5 Mysterious and Spooky Reads for Tweens

The Night Gardener by Jonathan Auxier

If you’re looking for a book with powerful storytelling that paints vivid imagery in your mind, The Night Gardener is a mesmerizing read that’s hard to put down. Jonathan Auxier uses exquisite language to tell the tale of Molly and Kip , two abandoned Irish siblings who travel to work as servants at a creepy, crumbling English manor house. Despite warnings on their journey to the house, the two arrive to find the house and its family aren’t what they expect. As they’re confronted by a mysterious spectre they find that their lives are in danger from an ancient curse that imparts moral lessons about human greed.

Summer at Forsaken Lake by Michael D Beil

If you’re still hanging on to summer, Summer at Forsaken Lake is a delightful mystery that brings back memories of unplugged summers, unexpected adventures, and young love that blossoms in the warm weather months. The story tells the tale of city-kids Nicholas and younger twin sisters Haley and Hetty who spend the summer with their Great-Uncle Nick at his house on Forsaken Lake while their father heads to Africa to volunteer for Doctors Without Borders. Despite Nicholas’ initial doubts, he finds himself at home in the country, learning to sail, discovering things about his father from when he was a boy, and makes fast friends with local tomboy, Charlie. The summer takes a turn toward the mysterious when Nicholas discovers an old movie that his father made as a boy. The unfinished movie about a local legend, The Seaweed Strangler, leads to lots of questions that he and Charlie investigate in order to uncover the truth. Along the way, they discover some long-buried family secrets.

The Ghosts of Tupelo Landing by Sheila Turnage

For kids who prefer a lot of comedy and a side of spooky, Sheila Turnage’s The Ghosts of Tupelo Landing offers both. Part of a trilogy but also great as a stand-alone book, The Ghosts of Tupelo Landing is a Southern mystery that can be enjoyed by readers visiting Tupelo Landing for the first time, as well as those who are old friends of Mo and Dale. In this book, Mo and Dale find themselves using their detective skills again when Miss Lana becomes the owner of an old inn that comes with an unidentified ghost. Always after extra credit for school, Mo’s itching to take the case especially because she loves the idea of a historical ghost for her history class. The detective duo is on the case to figure out who is haunting the old in and why but find the inn might not be the only thing in Tupelo Landing haunted by the past.

Lemony Snicket “Who Could That Be at This Hour?” by Lemony Snicket

Fans of Lemony Snicket will love untangling the mysteries of the young boy who In a fading town, far away from anyone he knew or trusted, and working for an organization nobody knows about. He started by asking questions that shouldn’t have been on his mind. Now he has written an account that should not be published, in four volumes that shouldn’t be read. If you find yourself with more questions as you read, pay attention to the pictures for they may hold some of the clues you’re looking for!

The Mortification of Fovea Munson by Mary Winn Heider

With a madcap sense of humor and a lot of heart, The Mortification of Fovea Munson is a about finding oneself, finding one’s friends, and embracing the moment. This story is about Fovea whose parents own a cadaver lab where they perform surgeries on dead bodies which makes her gross by association, at least according to everyone in seventh grade. With summer camp plans having fallen through, Fovea’s stuck working at the lab but is not Igor, Dr. Frankenstein’s snuffling assistant. One day  three disembodied heads, left to thaw in the wet lab, start talking to her out loud! What seems like a nightmare, or bizarre hallucination, is not. Fovea is somebody’s Igor, all right. Three somebodies, actually. And they need a favor!

Enter to Win a Prize Pack Filled with Spooky Reads for Tweens!

Disney Books is offering a prize pack so good, it’s scary! One (1) winner will receive:

• The Mortification of Fovea Munson
• Plus three other Halloween reads from Disney Books

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Looking for other suggestions? Check out these lists of spooky reads for tweens and teens from Brightly and A Mighty Girl!

Disney Book Group a review copy of the book for the purposes of this post and is partnering with me for a giveaway. All opinions are my own.